Irritation
by celtic7irish
Summary: Frankenstein is irritated. Rai is playing with the children. M-21 just wants some peace and quiet.


Frankenstein's aura flickered dangerously around him, and M-21 paused, wondering what had aggravated him so badly. A quick glance around showed a spotless living room, the children nowhere in sight. _He_ wasn't there, either, and M-21 frowned, glancing at the blond's back. Where was the Noblesse?

He debated with himself for a moment before deciding that no, he wasn't a coward, and no, Frankenstein would _probably_ not kill him for asking, but it was still probably in his best interest to refrain from speaking at the moment.

He heard the front door open and close, and the soft patter of slippers. Wincing, he turned, trying to catch Tao's eye as the younger man trotted easily into the living room, completely oblivious to the tension that filled the room. He looked interestedly around the room, seemingly unaware of M-21's attempt at subtly getting his attention. Takeo frowned at him and just gave a small shrug, and M-21 sighed.

"Hey, Boss!" Tao greeted cheerfully, unperturbed by the menacing aura surrounding the homeowner. "Where's Rai gone to?" Of all of them, he was the only one that called the Noblesse by the same name as the children.

M-21 watched in morbid fascination as Frankenstein's eyebrow twitched sharply. He could practically feel the annoyance radiating off of the other man, pressing down around him. But when he spoke, Frankenstein's words were as polite as ever.

"I believe Master is currently downstairs, playing." Which explained why the children weren't here, M-21 realized. But that still didn't explain Frankenstein's current mood, or why his hands were clenching his tea cup in a dangerously tight grip.

Tao nodded as if he understood completely. "I see. And are they killing him?" he asked. M-21 gave him a wide-eyed stare, barely hearing Frankenstein's confirmation before he was bolting for the computer lab. What the hell was going on down there? Who was killing who? And why?

Taking the elevator down to the appropriate floor, he could hear yelling, though it was hard to make out the words. It sounded like they were in the midst of an all-out war or something, he thought, near panicking.

As soon as the elevator doors slid open, he was out them and running down the hallway. He skidded to a stop in front of the door where all the shouting had been coming from, listening intently for further sounds of distress, but there was only silence.

Carefully, M-21 opened the door and poked his head in. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the darkened room, with the softly flickering glow from the computer monitors. There was a dark aura in this room as well, though it wasn't dangerous like Frankenstein.

Sudden movement, and M-21 watched as Shinwoo pulled a pair of visors off, throwing his head back for a moment. From here, M-21 could hear his heartbeat thumping, loud and fast. Ik-han's was much calmer in comparison, though still elevated. Yuna and Suyi were just sitting calmly, amused by Shinwoo's antics.

The last spot was occupied by a slender figure, the aura of despair so thick and heavy around him that it took a moment for M-21 to register the fact that Rai, the Noblesse, was sitting a computer, having obviously just played and lost a game. Quite badly, from the looks of things.

Takeo and Tao drew up beside him as he stood there in stunned disbelief. Tao peeked around the corner. "Ah, you won again, Ik-han?" he asked with a smile. The short boy greeted him happily, and Tao strode into the room. Shinwoo was complaining; something about Ik-han's win being a stroke of luck. But nobody seemed to be taking him seriously, so M-21 gathered that this happened often.

Takeo smiled softly at him. "The books that _he_ always reads were written by Frankenstein," he murmured softly. "But he is far too naïve and noble to attack the others, and he doesn't understand technology. He humors them, but he will probably never be able to beat them in war games."

M-21 nodded, pieces falling into place. That would explain Frankenstein's foul mood. No matter how hard the blond tried, the Master would not be able to win against the children. And if they killed him, repeatedly, no wonder he was depressed, which probably put his servant and friend into an even worse temper. But since it was Rai's decision to accompany the children when they came to play, there was nothing Frankenstein could do about it.

Giving in with a sigh, M-21 allowed a small smile to tug at his lips as he walked into the room, glancing at the various screens as he passed by. The images looked a bit blurry to him, like there was something off in their alignment. "Are these the new 3-D computers?" Tao was asking excitedly, as Ik-han explained to him. He slipped on a pair of the glasses. "Woah!" he exclaimed, quite obviously delighted with them.

Glancing down, M-21 saw an extra pair of glasses and slipped them on, then looked back at the screen. Suddenly, everything looked normal. Except…it looked more real, like he could reach out and touch the game characters. They'd been playing war games with this sort of life-like technology?

Aware that he was being watched, M-21 removed the glasses and turned to stare at Rai, who just watched him calmly, his aura no longer so depressed. In fact, he might actually be smiling, if that barely noticeable curve could be considered a smile. "The children like this game," he said simply, then shook his head. "I do not see it myself. Perhaps because it is not real."

And M-21 understood. The depression wasn't just from losing at the game. It was from the memories that such games probably brought back to him, of fighting and killing and shedding blood that wasn't his own.

"Ah," he said softly. "Then, perhaps a different sort of game would be better?" he suggest mildly. Red eyes suddenly focused on him intently, widening a bit in surprise. Had Rai never considered that there might be other games available to him? "What sort of games do you like to play?" he asked, aware that Tao had overheard part of the conversation and was listening closely.

Rai thought silently for a moment before answering. "I like chess," he replied finally, his tone soft. M-21 couldn't help the smile that crept across his face. Tao must have figured it out as well, because he laughed.

"That's perfect!" Tao said, excitedly. "You used to play chess with the Boss, right?" he asked. Rai nodded. "All right! I'll go tell him! He'll make the best game of chess ever!" And he was back out the door, confused children trailing out after him.

Takeo smiled at him and nodded before he left as well. M-21 waited for Rai to rise to follow the children, then fell into place behind him, thinking. Yes, this might just be the solution they needed. Rai would learn technology while playing a game he understood the mechanics of, and Frankenstein wouldn't be left out. And then, maybe, M-21 would finally have some peace.

M-21 smiled. Perfect.

_Fin._


End file.
